1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plumbing fixtures and supplies and, more particularly, to a protective leak guard for preventing damage to a building caused by a ruptured sillcock, wherein the guard is particularly designed for assembly with conventional sillcocks and designed to facilitate removal and installation of the sillcock from outside the building.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Most homes and buildings are provided with water spigots that supply water exteriorly of the structure. An exterior water spigot, commonly referred to as a "sillcock" typically extends through an outside building wall to a crawl space or basement of the building wherein it connects to a water supply line of the building or home. Conventionally, a sillcock includes a handle, a valve operated by the handle, a spigot, a hose connection, and an elongated pipe extending through the building wall and interconnecting the spigot and the building water supply.
In geographic regions where temperatures fall below freezing, a sillcock having its valve disposed outside the building, i.e. adjacent the spigot, has a tendency to rupture or break as water retained by the valve expands in response to freezing conditions. Consequently, "freeze proof" sillcocks evolved in which the valve is disposed adjacent the innermost end of the sillcock and is connected to the handle by a valve rod. In this fashion, the valve is designed to seat within the interior portion of the building where temperatures remain above freezing. Accordingly, when the valve is turned to an off position (the valve is seated), water within the pipe and spigot is allowed to drain and supply water is retained by the valve in above-freezing conditions. If properly operated, the sillcock prevents water from being exposed to freezing temperatures, and thus, prohibits sillcock breakage due to water freezing therein. Almost all newly constructed homes and buildings are provided with freeze proof sillcocks.
However, freeze proof sillcocks still have a tendency to rupture. This often occurs by the building or home owner leaving a hose connected to the sillcock, which prevents the pipe and spigot from draining. In this condition, water is trapped within the sillcock irrespective of whether or not the valve is in the off position. During subfreezing conditions, the trapped water expands due to freezing, and this expansion causes cracks in the sweat joints or breakage of the pipe. Clearly, subsequent thawing or use of the sillcock will cause water to flow through the cracks and into the interior portion of the home or building, which may result in substantial water damage to the home or building. Moreover, since breakage of the sillcock is not readily apparent to the user, a building or home owner must utilize the sillcock (i.e., unseat the valve) and risk the possibility of water damage in order to check the condition of the sillcock.
In response to this problem, apparatuses have been developed, which replace or adapt freeze proof sillcocks, to direct water leaking from the ruptured sillcock outside the building or home. Protective apparatuses that are used with conventional sillcocks typically include an elongated tubular member for receiving the sill cock and an O-ring, elastomeric washer or some type of seal ring that is disposed between the tubular member and sillcock adjacent the innermost end thereof to prevent water from draining into the building or house. Further, at the opposed outermost end, the tubular member is either open or provided with another seal ring and a small drain tube or relief stem to direct water draining from a ruptured sillcock to a point outside the home or building.
Clearly, these protective devices may be used to retrofit a house furnished with conventional sillcocks. However, installation of such devices and replacement of sillcocks with such devices have proven to be difficult and time consuming. For example, conventional protective devices often require access to the supply line located interiorly of the home so that a tightening band may be placed on the outer wall of the protective device for encircling the seal ring, which may require entrance into a crawl space. Further, it is common practice to cover plumbing, such as supply lines, with finished walls or ceilings, which requires the wall or ceiling to be cut or damaged to provide access to the supply line. Such devices also require the building owner to coordinate a time so that the plumber may be allowed into the building to replace the ruptured sillcock. Moreover, in a geographic region having a seasonal climate, O-rings, elastomeric washers and other types of seal rings eventually degrade in some manner, such as by corrosion or cracking, which destroys the sealed connection between the sill cock and protective apparatus.
Alternatively, protective apparatuses have been developed that wholly replace the conventional sillcock. Typically, replacement apparatuses include a spigot, a valve mechanism, an inner flow pipe, and a protective housing or drain conduit, all as a single structure. Such a design may provide superior and longer lasting protection than conventional sillcock protective devices. The replacement apparatuses may also provide for installation and replacement of the inner flow pipe from outside the building. However, such apparatuses are typically complex in design, which inherently increases cost and, most likely, installation or replacement time of the assembled apparatus. Moreover, since replacement apparatuses are not adaptable with conventional sillcocks, these devices are impractical as sillcocks continue to be widely used by plumbing artisans.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a protective device of simple design, which may be utilized with a conventional sillcock, that provides an improved connection between the sillcock and housing while permitting removal and installation of the sillcock from outside the home.